Albany State volleyball beats Edward Waters, finishes with 15 straight wins

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Albany State heads to the SIAC volleyball tournament with 15 straight wins and a chance to get another crack at the only team that beat it in conference play.

Spring Hill College went 18-0 in the SIAC, including a Sept. 19 win over the Golden Rams in Albany. If both teams reach the final in Fort Valley, their rematch will be for the conference championship.

Albany State (24-8, 18-1 SIAC) closed the regular season Thursday night by beating Edward Waters 3-1 at the Adams-Jenkins Complex. The Golden Rams dropped the opening set 25-23, then won the next three 25-19, 25-19 and 25-22.

After evening the match in the second set, Albany State took control in the third with 18 kills and a .438 hitting percentage. Edward Waters kept the fourth set close, but the Golden Rams took it 25-22 to finish the match.

Freshman Amiria Anderson led all players with 20 kills, and two seniors gave the Golden Rams options elsewhere at the net. Shaniya Banks put away 11 kills while hitting .556, and Jarianis Perez had 11 kills and 15 digs.

Setters Liannette Burgos and Trinity Britt combined for 53 assists. Burgos added 14 digs and two aces, while Myra Lopez matched Perez with 15 digs. Brooklyn Jones led Edward Waters (13-12, 12-7) with 16 kills.

The SIAC tournament runs Nov. 10-12 in Fort Valley. Albany State’s first-round opponent and match time have yet to be announced.